It's Her
by tigeracid08
Summary: Seth get's a phone call from an old friend on Kate's where about's. One-shot. WARNING: Mentions drug use.
**It's Her**

Seth sinks into his chair, a glass of whiskey in his hands as he tries to drown out that night and every night since he abandoned her on the side of that road. He blames himself for her death as much as he blames his brother. He shouldn't have left her there. Shouldn't have let her drive away like he did.

He failed her. Again.

Closing his eyes, Seth takes another drink of whiskey. Downing it as he stands to get another refill. Because how else was he going to forget. While filling the cup up, his phone rings and he ignores it. Knocking back his next drink instead because he knows it's another moronic problem that Richie's created, and honestly he can't find it in himself to care at the moment.

He's heard enough to last him a lifetime and all he wants to do right now is forget. Forget everything, because it's been three weeks and still there's no explanation as to why Kate's body wasn't where Richie and Scott swear they left her. Scott even insisting that he saw Carlito cover her body. Both of them swearing up and down that she was dead.

"Where's her body, Richard!"

But Richie doesn't have an answer, and neither he, nor Scott, can look him in the eye as he glares the both of them down. Waiting for something and its Richie that finally whispers, "we watched her die, Seth. I swear."

Seth can't even look at either of them after that. Only tolerating Richie because they're brother's and watching Scott on the fringes of his sight. The boy always turning tail and running in the opposite direction the moment he gets wind of him.

The phone stops ringing, and for a moment the silence is deafening in the room until the phone starts to ring again. This time Seth glares at it for a moment before downing his third glass and walking over to pick it up. A quick, "what" is all he manages to get out before a familiar voice on the other end says, "thank god. For a minute there I didn't think you were going to answer."

"Freddie?" Seth asks, unsure if he's remembering the voice right as he looks at the phone like he's going to get a clear image of the man on the other end.

"Yeah," Freddie says, his voice sounding off as Seth places his cup down and waits. Knowing that whatever the Ranger is calling for can't be all that great. "I've debated calling you about this, but I don't see many other options."

"Calling about what?" Seth asks, scared to even know what this was about. The hesitant note in the man's voice sends a lump to his throat and he looks back to the mini bar behind him, wondering how many drinks he was going to have to suck down to drown this out.

"There's been a series of murders along the border, and at first we didn't have any leads, and then one came in and…" The man's voice trails off as he clears his throat. Seth can hear a ruffling of papers on the other end and it's a second before Freddie continues. "I tried to ignore it at first. Reminding myself It's not possible, but…More evidence came in. A video this time and I can't ignore this one. I can't ignore it, and I can't hide it."

"Hide what?" Seth asks, growing impatient as he shifts on his feet. Wanting to demand that the man get on with the point of this call.

"It's her, Seth. "

"Her who?" Seth demands, growing impatient with the man's cryptic nonsense.

"Kate," Freddie whispers. Like saying her name would bring down some kind of wrath, and Seth freezes. His hand tightening around the glass as the air in his lungs leave him. Having to take a deep breath to keep from passing out as he shakes his head.

"That's not possible. Richie said…" He starts, closing his eyes to focus on the truth, because he can't see either his brother or hers lying to him about something like that. It was just too harsh. To cruel to lie about someone like Kate dying.

"I know," Freddie says, his own voice sounds disbelieving. Like he couldn't see either Richie or Scott lying about that either. "But I'm staring at her face on a video so, unless she's got a look alike somewhere…" the words trail off again and Seth breathes in deep. "If Richie was telling the truth, then I can't actually bring her in, but I can't ignore the murders either so…I've got an address where she's been located and I can only hold off handing the information over for twenty-four hours, after that they'll have to bring her in."

Seth bites his lip, staring at the pile of papers lying across his desk and then the clock on the back of his wall before nodding his head and picking up a pen. "What's the address?"

* * *

The next day, Seth can't believe that he's standing outside the nearly abandoned hotel room. The place is just as disgusting and ransacked as those places Kate and him hide in all the way in Mexico. It stinks of filth and something else. Something that he doesn't want to identify as he steps closer to the last room.

Wiggling the handle, he's not surprised to find that it's locked. Anything else from young Kate would be disappointing. Still, he's unsure of what he's going to find as he pulls the spare key he bribed from the front clerk and now stands outside. Hand on the door knob, pausing as he turns it not wanting to find anything at all. Hoping that Kate, if it was Kate, had enough sense to leave before day break.

Judging by the smell that lingers from the room, he doubts it.

Stepping into the room, he isn't surprised to see her huddled at the top of the bed. Hair hanging limp around her face ; no longer a beautiful shine that she spent creating daily. Her clothes are baggy and loose with blood splatter across the front. Either she picked them up in a hurry, or Kate was sicker then Freddie believed.

Leaning against the door, Seth crosses his arms, taking a moment to gather himself as Kate's head rolls to the side. Her eyes barely opening up to stare back at him with heavy lidded eyes. The needle lying on the bed next to her all the explanation he needs as his gaze roams over her body. Looking for the familiar markings to confirm his suspicions when her voice pulls his gaze back to her face.

"Of course," she mutters, brows straightening out as recognition takes over. Her eyes close for a moment in resignation before she opens them up again. Staring at him. Drowning him in the deep sea of brown sorrow that engulfs him as he waits for her to continue.

"What, Kate?" he asks, stepping into the room. Stopping at the foot of bed as she gives him a half grin. One that doesn't even reach her eyes as she looks back at fingers. Hands rubbing along her arm where the track marks linger.

"Of course it would be you." She doesn't look up at him again. Merely grabs her needle and tosses it into the trash as she goes to stand. Shivering despite the heat inside the hotel room. "She said you would come."

Seth cocks his head to the side . Brows furrowing as he tries to thin of who else could have found her. Santanico is an open possibility, but why didn't she call to inform them of Kate. Why Freddie? Seth looks at her again, fully expecting her to explain and she sees it. Sees the confusion written all over his face as the tears stream down.

The guilt in her eyes undeniable as she shakes her head. Her mouth opening and closing like she's trying to say something more, but the words won't come. Instead a sob breaks through and Kate hunches forward. Looking ready to fall as Seth rushes around the bed. Catching her in his arms and pulling her close. Wrapping her arms around his waist so that he can bring his own hand up to run through her hair, noting it's now brittle quality is in stark contrast to the smooth strands she kept when they were in Mexico. Still, he continues to curl his fingers at the nap of her neck, using his thumb to rub soothing circles there as he leaves short, "shh," noises in her hair and mumbles, "it's okay. I got you. It's going to be okay."

"It won't" Kate gasps, pulling away from him. Allowing his hands to fall to her shoulders as he holds her. Not wanting to let her go. Afraid that she would disappear from him all over again. "She's wants so much blood, Seth. So much blood and I can't stop her."

His brows furrow again for a moment, still confused on who's she's talking about, but the grief forces the question down as he cups her face. Forcing to look into his eyes. "We'll figure it out. Together. Remember? We always did better together."

Kate nods, biting her lip even as the doubt shows through her eyes, and Seth pulls her close again. Wrapping her up in his arms as he continues muttering, "we can do it together. Always together."

It's shit, and he knows it. Knows she knows it, cause he don't have a fucking clue what's wrong with Kate. Only knows that he's got to get home. Get her somewhere safe before he can get the answers he needs. Cause seeing her like this, so lost and confused, brings a weight to his gut that he can't just explain. He'd never seen her like this. So broken that it hurt to even look at her, and he leaves him lost on what to do. How to fix her, and once again he's cursing Richie. For getting her shot. For leaving her there, when it was so clearly obvious she wasn't dead.

For causing this girl – this strong, beautiful girl – to be in this kind of pain when it wasn't necessary. Forcing him to once again clean up his mess by fixing her. If he could figure out how. When he got her home of course.

She continues nodding, agreeing with his words as he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls from he hotel room and into his car. Worry twisting his gut when he manages to do so without a word of complaint from her. The one who's always got question and doubts, and needs to know what their doing and where their going.

The quiet girl next to him is unsettling as he get's in the driver's side. Staring at her for a moment before shaking off his doubts and muttering to himself as much as to her, "It'll be better when we get home. Together."

* * *

 **It's short I know. My own little take on what could happen when they find Kate, and how she might be. And I am so happy to hear they are working on Season 3 cause I can't wait to see these two back in action.**


End file.
